By Sohaib Shams
An Ohio couple has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit seeking $30 million in damages after alleging they were violently assaulted and ejected from a Donald Trump campaign rally in Youngstown.
Lawsuit filed in federal court
The complaint, filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court in Youngstown, names Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted, the City of Youngstown, event security company Ironwood LLC, Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene and four unidentified sheriff’s deputies as defendants. The plaintiffs, identified as John and Jane Doe, allege violations of their constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure and their First Amendment right to free speech, as well as assault and battery.
Alleged violent removal at rally
The incident occurred on October 12 at the Covelli Centre during a rally featuring the president. According to the lawsuit, John Doe interrupted an address by Husted, shouting “Pedophile protector!” in reference to congressional actions surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Jane Doe joined in dissent. Security personnel and deputies then moved to remove the couple. The complaint alleges an officer violently grabbed John Doe’s head and neck, slammed him to the ground, breaking his glasses and damaging his phone, before dragging him out. Jane Doe says she was assaulted when she tried to intervene. Husted continued speaking without asking security to stop, and the couple allege they were verbally berated and denied immediate medical attention.
Injuries and medical findings
A medical examination this week diagnosed John Doe with a head injury and cervical sprain, with follow-up treatment recommended. The filing notes he is disabled, vision-impaired and asthmatic, and that both plaintiffs continue to suffer severe physical and mental harm and property damage.
Legal demands and related incident
After the rally, the couple filed incident reports with the East Canton Police Department. The lawsuit, assigned to Judge Benita Pearson, requests preliminary and permanent injunctions, $5 million in compensatory damages, $25 million in punitive damages and reimbursement of legal costs. In response, Sheriff Greene said he is confident his deputies acted appropriately and followed the law, declining further comment due to ongoing litigation. The ejection was the second at the rally to draw scrutiny; another attendee, Blake Miley, was removed after revealing a shirt reading “Release the Epstein files,” and civil rights attorney Subodh Chandra has announced representation for Miley.
